Mrs. Chana Juravel shared a story that took place a few years ago (the names have been changed). Mindy and Judy Nussbaum were identical twins. When the time came for them to start Shidduchim, their parents wondered what to do. The girls were so much alike! How could they figure out who should date Mindy and who should date Judy?
They decided that Mindy, who was 15 minutes older than her sister, would begin dating first. Baruch Hashem, it didn’t take long before Mindy became a Kallah, and nobody could have been happier for her than her sister.
On the night of the Vort, the whole family was in the van, about to go to the Simchah. But where was Judy? What was taking her so long? It was getting late! Mr. Nussbaum honked the horn and everyone sat impatiently waiting for the front door to open, and for Judy to come outside. Mr. and Mrs. Nussbaum began to wonder whether Judy had been putting on a brave show of happiness for her sister, when really, she was feeling left behind. Maybe the reality was a little hard for her to face.
Finally, at the last possible moment, Judy came running out to the car. But she surprised the family with what she was she wearing. It wasn’t the elaborate dress that her mother thought she would wear. It was just a nice outfit, with light makeup, and her hair was done very simply.
Mrs. Nussbaum asked her what this was all about. She said that after all, it couldn’t hurt for the next sister in line to become a Kallah to make a nice impression on the guests.
With a twinkle in her eye, Judy said, “I waited until it was too late for you to send me back in to change. I want my sister to really shine tonight. I don’t want anyone to say to me, ‘Who’s the Kallah? Are you the Kallah?’ This is what I’m wearing so there’ll be no confusion, and all the attention will go to Mindy.”
Without any more time to spare, and their hearts full of admiration for their daughter, the Nussbaums drove off to Mindy’s Vort!
Reprinted from the Parshas Chukas 5785 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U’Tefilah.
